Matercula Okaasan
by Celestia's Paladin
Summary: Ikuko Tsukino, Queen Serenity, two women from two different eras. One a housewife, the other the ruler of a vast empire, and yet for their differences they are alike. For the love for their child, the protector of all binds them together across Time.


**Matercula/Okaa-san**

A Sailor Moon story by GraysonPaladin

Summary: Ikuko Tsukino, Queen Serenity, two women from two different eras. One a housewife, the other the ruler of a vast empire, and yet for their differences they are alike. For the love for their child, the protector of all binds them together across the vastness of Time.

*****

After a long and trying day Ikuko finally pooled herself into bed next to her husband. Sleep came quickly for her, so quick that she didn't noticed the faint silver glow enveloping her body.

"Oh…" the blue haired woman groans as she opens her eyes. As she gets up she notices that she no longer in her bedroom. "Where am I," she whispers.

She in no longer in Tokyo but in some kind of hedgerow maze, she can hear the faint sound of someone singing. Ikuko tries to navigate her way through the maze, following the sound of the singing. After God knows how long she made it to the center of the maze.

In the center she found a fountain with stone benches surrounding it. Sitting at one of the benches is a woman with long silver hair pulled up into two buns and long streamers. The beautiful singing, a sad tune with an undertone of hope comes from the woman. Ikuko hesitantly approaches the woman.

"Um… excuse me," she said.

The woman stops singing and turns around, Ikuko gasps as she sees the other woman's eyes. Silver, pure silver matching her hair.

"Hello Ikuko Tsukino," the woman said with a serene smile.

"Who are you, and how do you know my name?"

The smiles again, "please have a seat and I'll explain everything."

The woman motions to the bench, making room for Ikuko to have a seat. That is when Ikuko noticed something odd in the sky; hanging in the heavens like a sapphire jewel is the blue-green orb of the Earth. The Japanese woman gasps.

"I'm on the Moon!"

"Yes you are," the woman said, "and yet at the same time no you are not. This is all part of home, Serenity Castle, and yet we are in your dreams. Let me introduce myself, I am Serenitatis Invictus Regina."

Ikuko looks at the woman confused, "I'm sorry I didn't catch that. I'm pretty sure that wasn't Japanese."

The woman chuckles, "sorry I keep forgetting that no one speaks the old tongue any more. In death I was called Queen Serenity the Unconquered, in life I was Serenity the Fifth, to my family and friends I am Nodoka Tsukino."

"Then what should I call you Your Majesty?"

Nodoka smiles, "please just call me Nodoka, my kingdom has long since passed from history to legend to myth to ash."

Ikuko noticed the sadness in Nodoka's voice, "of course Nodoka. So why am I here?"

Silver looks into brown, "to thank you."

Ikuko raises an eyebrow, "to thank me? Thank me for what?"

"To thank you for raising Usagi the way you did."

The Terran woman looks at the monarch in confusion. "I don't understand."

Nodoka looks up at Earth hanging in the sky, trying to collect her thoughts.

"The way I can explain to tell you a story," she looks over at Ikuko, "a story of life and death, peace and war, a story that regrettably ended too soon. Over eleven thousand years ago, before the rise of the city known as Babylon a woman named Selene Tsukino, my Great-Great-Great Grandmother, guided humanity to Luna after the Shadow War, help start a new age. This age lasted a thousand years, mankind walked among the starts in a vast empire. This empire, the Silver Alliance, was centered here on Luna as the Star-Kingdom of the White Moon. This age survived insurrections and a great war that nearly brought humanity to its knees. Only my family and there guardians help keep the darkness at bay." Her eyes started to look sad, tears forming, "but we forgot that the enemy that we should fear is not outside the gates but within. A Terran woman got corrupted by darkness, she committed genocide and siege the city. My kingdom fell, one of the last killed was my daughter Usagi."

Nodoka pull two photographs out of nowhere and hands them to Ikuko. The Terran woman takes them and her eyes widen at what they reveal. The first photo has Nodoka sitting on one of the stone benches; next to her is dark-blond haired man in a military uniform, and sitting on the man's lap is a young blond haired girl wearing a goofy smile and the man peaked cap on her head. A young, happy family forever immortalized. The second photo showed the same family but older, the Nodoka looked as young as ever, the man's uniform even more decorated, but the girl was now a young woman wearing the same uniform as the man. Ikuko now understood what Nodoka meant, that girl, that young woman had the same brilliant blue eyes, eyes that seemed cut from sapphire. Ikuko knows those eyes.

"She… She… she is Usagi, my Usagi," she finally said.

Nodoka nods, "yes our daughters are one and the same."

"Does that mean that she isn't my daughter," Ikuko asks hesitantly.

Nodoka grabs the other woman hand, trying to reassure her.

"No, gods no, that is not what I mean. You carried her to term and gave birth to her. You taught her right from wrong, and to not to fear the darkness. Usagi is your daughter, just as much as or even more so than she is mine."

Ikuko saw no deception in Nodoka's silver eyes.

"If that is true, then how are our daughters the same?"

Nodoka sighs, "when I sealed Beryl away after she destroyed my kingdom, I used the last of my power to send my daughter, her fiancé and her Senshi to the future to be reincarnated."

"I see, wait Senshi?" Ikuko's mind started to process all this information, and then it hits her, something that should be obvious. "Usagi is one of them isn't she, one of the Senshi."

"Yes she is she is their leader Sailor Moon. You should be proud; you raised a protector, a guardian, Usagi is the one who stands between humanity and the darkness. Despite me telling her destiny, the rest of Sailor Moon's moral code is form you. You taught her right from wrong, you taught her not to fear the darkness, and you taught her to protect the innocent."

Ikuko smiles, "I did, didn't I; I just never thought that my daughter could be one of them."

"She is a Senshi. Usagi faced things that would give normal people nightmares. I just sealed Beryl away, but she truly defeated her. With every enemy she has fought; she proves that it is not I who am Serenity the Unconquered but her."

They noticed that the world started to darken.

"It looks like our time is starting to end, please give Usagi my love."

"Wait I have one more question, if Usagi is the reincarnation of your daughter, then what happen to you?"

Nodoka smiles that serene smile as she fades away. She mouths the words '_You know the answer'_.

"Wait, what do you mean," Ikuko yells as the world turns black.

Then she opens her eyes, finding herself no longer on the surface of the Moon but in her bedroom. Turning her head Ikuko sees Kenji still sleeping; silently she slips out of bed and out of the room, only pausing to put on a robe. She pads down the hallway careful to not wake anyone up. She silently opens the door to Usagi's room, inside she sees her daughter curled up under her sheets with Luna sleeping soundly at the foot of the bed. The only sound Ikuko can hear is a soft whimpering coming from Usagi.

Making sure not to disturb Luna, she sits softly on the bed. Now Ikuko can make out words amongst the whimpering. Words like 'no', 'take me not them', and 'help'. Tears started to form in the older woman's eyes.

"It's ok Usagi, Mama's here," Ikuko whispered, brushing the blond hair off her daughter's face. _You no longer have carry this burden alone_, she thought.

Usagi then opens her sleepy blue eyes, "Mama? What are you doing in my room?"

Ikuko answers by pulling Usagi in a hug, "I came to you that I love you, and Serenity does too. You no longer have to face the nightmares alone"

Usagi hugs back, not knowing what to say. Luna looks up from her spot at the foot of the bed she is confused until she hears the word serenity.

_How does Ikuko know about Her Majesty_, the cat thought.

Then she saw a soft silver glow surrounding the older woman, through the gloom Luna can make out the ghostly outline of Nodoka Tsukino, Queen Serenity the Unconquered wrapping her arms around her daughter. This scene brought a tear to her eyes, and a smile to her lips.

******

Paladin's Note: This was a fun one to write, even if the idea just came to me out of the blue. The title is made up from the Latin and Japanese words for Mother, I thought it was appropriate. This does tie into my other Sailor Moon stories, so that is why Queen Serenity is Serenity V or Nodoka Tsukino. I'll leave it up to you to interpret what Nodoka meant by "You know the answer", though I would like to know what your thoughts are about the line. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns leave me a review or a PM, I'll get back to as soon as I can.


End file.
